Anxiety:
Symptoms & How to Overcome
Dr.P. Madhurima Reddy
MA,
M.Sc., MEd, M.Phil., Ph.D., Ph.D.
Psychologist, Life, Wealth &
Business Coach
Peak Performance International
Trainer
NLP Master Practitioner Licensed (UK)
How so? Simply put, anxiety symptoms can range from life-altering phobias,
such as the fear of driving, to seemingly normal occurrences, like headaches or fatigue. While the latter two may not prompt you to
believe you have a chronic condition, and may even confuse you into thinking
you have two of the most common flu symptoms, they are also physical manifestations of
high anxiety that — when combined with more specific physical or mental
symptoms — can suggest you have a disorder.
Though anxiety affects
everyone, it differs from person to person in the way it manifests, why it
manifests, and to what magnitude it occurs. For this reason, anxiety diagnoses
can take many forms. The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th
Edition (DSM-5) classifies generalized anxiety
disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), and social anxiety
disorder (SAD) as actual
anxiety disorders, while anxiety-related disorders include obsessive-compulsive
disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Because the symptoms can seem like everyday
occurrences, anxiety disorders are often difficult to understand. So as we head
into a new decade, we've gathered a wide selection of blogs that both support
those who live with an anxiety-related condition and promote awareness around
the condition.
Ranging from humorous to scientific to
spiritual, some of these blogs are specific to a certain anxiety disorder while
others cater to overall mental health, but all strive to foster a community
among individuals who experience anxiety. For those days when you need to know
how to calm a panic attack, laugh a little about your hyperactive
imagination, or just read a supportive poem, these blogs are here to help you
in 2020.
Time to Change also has a
site full of blogs and stories by people who've personally experienced anxiety,
depression, eating disorders, and a variety of other mental health issues.
Tips on how to get
involved in breaking the stigma surrounding mental health, as well as how to
support someone living with a mental health condition, are among the
non-condition-specific blog topics on the site. For those living with anxiety,
tales of dating and dealing with family and work are just a few that aim to empower people with the condition
and help them realize they're not alone. And for everyone else,
Time to Change hopes that
the shared stories of daily life with anxiety can help increase understanding
and improve attitudes surrounding this and other mental health conditions in
general.
1.
Talk to a therapist. It is so important not to keep negative or damaging thoughts
about your illness to yourself. If you’re having a bad week with symptoms of
UC, it’s helpful to talk through it with an objective person. My therapist
gives me a lot of insight into how I can better manage my symptoms instead of
spending so much time worrying about them coming. He recommends practicing
holistic calming techniques like meditation, yoga, and deep-breathing
exercises.
2.
Exercise regularly. If you’re able to exercise, I highly recommend getting your
daily dose of endorphins from physical activity. On days when I’m
not feeling my strongest, even a slow, 10 to 15 minute walk outside helps clear
my mind and reduces pain from abdominal cramps. On days when I’m feeling up to
it, I love to go for runs and do strength training. Lifting weights helps me know that I’m stronger than my
disease, and I always feel great after.
3.
Read. Reading
autobiographies and thriller romance novels helps take my mind off of anything
that is giving me anxiety or worry. It’s a nice vacation for your brain so you
can decompress and focus on a different story. Checking out blog or social
media posts from patient advocates who live with UC is great, too. Reading
about fellow patients helps me feel like I’m part of a community and that I’m
not alone during difficult days.
4.
Do puzzles, word searches, or adult coloring. Coloring is underrated in my opinion. Now that
adult coloring is trendy, it’s so much fun to pick up a fresh pack of colored
pencils and stay between the lines! Word searches and crossword puzzles are fun
hobbies that I pick up when my mind is racing. They’re also great items to take
with you if you have to be inpatient at the hospital or head to an infusion.
5.
Keep your support system close. I could not cope with my anxiety and
ulcerative colitis without my support system. Having a friend, sibling, or
parent listen helps me realize how strong I am and that I have conquered so
much because of my UC. They keep me motivated and inspire me to keep going.
It’s important to keep positive people who lift you up in your corner so you
have someone to call when you’re not feeling your best mentally.
Calming techniques like meditation, yoga, and
deep breathing can help keep anxiety at bay
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